Putnam Integration Problems.

These are all from 1985–2000.

A4-2000. Show that the improper integral

Z B
lim sin(x) sin(x2 )dx
B→∞ 0

converges.

A5-1999. Prove that there is a constant C such that, if p(x) is a polynomial of degree 1999,
then Z 1
p(0) ≤ C |p(x)|dx.
−1

A2-1995. For what pairs (a, b) of positive real numbers does the improper integral
Z q q√ √ 
∞ √ √
x+a− x− x− x − b dx
b

converge?

A5–1993. Show that

Z !2 Z 1
!2 Z 11
!2
−10 x2 − x 11 x2 − x 10 x2 − x
dx + dx + dx
−100 x2 − 3x + 1 1
101
x2 − 3x + 1 101
100
x2 − 3x + 1

is a rational number.

B4–1993. The function K(x, y) is positive and continuous for 0 ≤ x ≤ 1, 0 ≤ y ≤ 1, and

the functions f (x) and g(x) are positive and continuous for 0 ≤ x ≤ 1. Suppose that for all
x, 0 ≤ x ≤ 1,
Z 1 Z 1
f (y)K(x, y)dy = g(x) and g(y)K(x, y)dy = f (x).
0 0

Show that f (x) = g(x) for 0 ≤ x ≤ 1.

A2–1992. Define C(α) to be the coefficient of x1992 in the power series expansion of (1 + x)α .
Evaluate Z 1 !
1 1 1 1
C(−y − 1) + + +···+ dy.
0 y+1 y+2 y+3 y + 1992

Continued on other side.

1
A5–1991. Find the maximum value of
Z y q
x4 + (y − y 2 )2 dx
0

for 0 ≤ y ≤ 1.

B1–1990. Find all real-valued differentiable functions f on the real line such that for all x
Z x  
2
(f (x)) = (f (t))2 + (f 0 (t))2 dt + 1990.
0

Z a Z b 2 x2 ,a2 y 2 }
A2–1989. Evaluate emax{b dy dx where a and b are positive.
0 0

B3–1989. Let f be a function on [0, ∞), differentiable and satisfying

f 0 (x) = −3f (x) + 6f (2x)

√
for x > 0. Assume that |f (x)| ≤ e− x for x ≥ 0 (so that f (x) tends rapidly to 0 and x
increases). For n a non-negative integer, define
Z ∞
µn = xn f (x)dx
0

(sometimes called the nth moment of f ).

a. Express µn in terms of µ0 .
 
3n
b. Prove that the sequence µn always converges, and that the limit is 0 only if µ0 = 0.
n!
q
Z 4 ln(9 − x)dx
B1–1987. Evaluate q q
2 ln(9 − x) + ln(x + 3)
Z 2π
A5–1985. Let Im = cos(x) cos(2x) . . . cos(mx)dx. For which integers m, 1 ≤ m ≤ 10, is
0
Im 6= 0?
Z ∞ Z ∞ √
−1/2 −1985(t+t−1 ) 2
B5–1985. Evaluate t e dt. You may assume that e−x dx = π.
0 −∞